Graduates of the inaugural session of the Bahamas Public Service Institutional Capacity Building Programme were recognized and celebrated for their efforts Friday, June 24, 2022. The program was put on by the Bahamas Government in conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and facilitated by University of The Bahamas through the Government and Public Policy Institute (GPPI) and Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning Centre (CLEARN).
Forty-two employees representing a cross-section of the public service participated in the nine months’ leadership training program for public officers who might be prospective candidates for further advancement as leaders within the service.
The program was delivered through a series of modules, seminars, projects and group activities. It incorporated the latest knowledge and best practices in the various areas of study and embraced the most current developments in the Bahamas Public Service environment.
The objectives of the program: develop clear knowledge and understanding of public policy and administration; enhance self-management skills for greater productivity; acquire task specific skills in the areas of statistics, public procurement, performance monitoring, public finance, and executive leadership; and develop systemic approaches to capacity building.The closing ceremony was held at the University of The Bahamas.
In attendance: The Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, Minister of State for the Public Service; the Hon. Wayne Munroe, Minister of National Security; permanent secretaries including Nicole Campbell, Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr. Rodney Smith, President of UB; Zhivargo Laing, Executive Director of GPPI; Dr. Linda Davis, BTVI interim- president; Dr. Iva Dahl, Senior Policy Fellow; and Daniela Carrera-Marquis, IDB Country Representative (virtual appearance).
Congratulating the participants, Minister of State Glover-Rolle expressed confidence that the lessons learned will help them to make more positive contributions to the public service. She thanked them for taking the initiative to invest in themselves and become “better” equipped to become “better” public servants. She applauded UB and the GPPI for taking the initiative to launch the program. State Minister Glover-Rolle commended the organizers for their efforts in focusing on the “critical” areas of need.
“We all know that data collection and statistics is an area that needs much work locally. We also must build capacity when it comes to using statistics to inform our policies.
“Public procurement and financial management are essential to effective, transparent policy execution; and there will always be a need for executive leadership development,” she said.
“Failure to invest in the leaders of tomorrow will defeat any momentum that we are able to generate today.”
Mr. Laing said throughout the program the officers have been “attentive, engaged and committed”.
“You will be ultimately the testament to the test of the program. It is our intent to monitor your performance going forward for a period of time and to document that performance for the benefit of evaluating the outcome of the training.
“We look for your cooperation in this regard. This will allow us to obtain the necessary data to make proof of the effort of our program.” Dr. Smith wished the cohort every success. He said, “We are confident that this cohort of participants who are already active participants in nation building have further honed their skills to become not onl better but elite employees of the Bahamas Public Service.”
In a video presentation Ms. Carrera-Marquis congratulated the participants for their accomplishments. She said, “The IDB is proud to sponsor the public service institutional capacity building program in partnership with the Government of The Bahamas under the capable instruction of the University of The Bahamas and the GPPI to support the advancement and training of public service officers.” The graduates were awarded certificates for their achievements.
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